The Wester pride

Ready for a Break Edition

Winter 2024

INSIDE

THE

PRIDE

Cross Country
Basketball
A Long Winter's Nap
Holiday Traditions
Holiday Baking
December Movies
Kindness
New Years

WESTER HAPPENINGS 🐾

CROSS COUNTRY

by Kinsley Springfield

With the Cross-Country season coming to a close, I interviewed one of our own wildcat runners; Yasmin Prellwitz. She won 3rd place, 1st place and 4th place out of four meets, with the 4th place finish being districts, which consisted of 180 other runners.

Cross Country is an extremely hard sport and is not for the physically or mentally weak. When asked why she chose to do cross country, Yasmin responded with “I did cross country last year and it was pretty fun so I thought this year it would also be fun. I also wanted to see how much I improved from last year.” Not only did Yasmin run Cross Country last year, she won the MVP award in Cross Country for 7th grade girls at Wester Middle School. This award was given out by the coaches to who they felt deserved it the most.

Yasmin stated that although she ran cross country last year, she was nervous at the first meet of the new season. As time went on, she continued to run more meets and was able to run more comfortably and perform at a high level. I asked Yasmin if she was thinking about anything during these meets and she responded “I was mainly focused on controlling my breathing.”

Yasmin Prellwitz, Wester Cross Country Team

Not only are there mental components to cross country but there are also physical ones. Yasmin told me in order to prepare for meets, she would run in practice the way she would in a meet. She also oftenly ran throughout weekends even though it was not required.

WIth all the preparation that goes into running cross country, I asked if she enjoyed doing it. She said: “I would say that it is a sport that has grown on me over time.” With all of my questions answered, I asked Yasmin to give future cross country runners some advice. “I would say start by not comparing yourself to other people because you don’t know how much progress they have made and how long it took them so just do your own thing and take it step by step and do something that works for you.”

Daniel Buenafe

Wester Basketball

BASKETBALL

by Aaryan Verma

Hey Wildcats! Basketball season has begun and we’re off to a great start! On the 8th Grade Boys Basketball A Team we have Daniel Buenafe who has been performing astonishingly well. Just 4 games in and he has been averaging 20.5 points a game having an overall score of 82 points not even having reached half the season yet! In the hoopfest tournament which lasted 3 games he scored an amazing 45 points and gave it his best.

Daniel has not only been an incredible player on the Wester Basketball Team but also represents our school as having one of the 8th grade best 3-point shooters, with stats in for being one of the top scorers from three’s in games he is known by many from other schools within the district bringing pride to our school for having him.

WINTER news 🐾

Top 5 Must Haves For A Long Winter’s Nap

By Abigayle Currier

Twas the night before winter break, and all through the street, Wildcats rush home, for a nap so sweet!

It’s no doubt that with the winter break coming up Wester’s Wildcats are getting ready for their annual hibernation. Here are some of the top 5 must haves for your loooooong winter’s nap!

5. Lip mask

Pucker up butter cup!

During the winter, the air gets cold and dry. With the drastic change in temperature, our skin gets very dry. These

masks are great for keeping your lips moist. They keep your lips from cracking, and are full of vitamin c. All you have to do

is put it one before bed, and wash it off in the morning. Simple as that!

4. Fuzzy Socks

Ah, so soft, so cozy.

Fuzzy socks aren’t to hard to come by. You can go to any store that sells clothing, and you’re almost guaranteed to

find some nice, warm socks. The fuzzier, the better! Why fuzzy socks?Well, they improve circulation, reduce stress, and even help you get better sleep.

3. Satin pillowcase

Sleeping in style.

Similar to the socks, it’s not to difficult to find a good satin pillow case. Lot’s of home store, grocery stores, and many places online sell great quality satin pillow cases. These pillow cases reduce friction, and allow you to move comfortably. They’re also great for your hair. No need for a bonnet, cap, or durag. You’ll feel like a natural sleeping beauty!

2. Eye mask

Ah! I can’t see anything!

These lovely little slips of fabric or more than meets the eye. Not only do they block out extra light, but they also increase your quality of sleep. They reduce dry eyes, improve relaxation, and so much more. Traveling over the break? No problem! These bad boys are extremely easy to travel with. Just fold it up and slip it in your bag. Boom! Great sleep anywear you go.

1. Weighted Blanket

Zzzz…Oh! Sorry, I fell asleep.

Weighted blankets are nothing new, but they are amazing for hibernation. You can get them in many different weights. Each having different effects on your sleep. These blankets provide maximum comfort, security, and relaxation. They’re also great for trapping heat on those extra cold nights. These blankets have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, and are recommended by many medical professionals.

Happy hibernating!

Holiday TraditionS

by Reagan Koon

It is finally cold outside, which means winter is approaching. During winter there is a Numerous amount of Holidays that kids celebrate around Wester. During holidays, there are traditions that people do every year. A lot of people celebrate Christmas and do traditions like baking cookies, decorating their house, and watching Christmas movies. But, there are other holidays that have unique traditions! Like Kathika Deepam, in Kathika Deepam they have traditions like lighting candles, fireworks, and the food. Another Holiday is Diwali, even though Diwali wasn’t celebrated in winter this year. It changes every year based on the Hindu lunar calendar. Some traditions are Fireworks, lighting lamps, and visiting temples for religious events. Even though I only listed a couple, there are a numerous amount of holidays that have their own unique traditions.

6 CHRISTMAS TraditionS

by Kate Olvera

There are a lot of Christmas Traditions people do every year. Here are some of the most popular ones.

1. One of them is watching Christmas Movies. Popular Christmas movies include: Home Alone, elf, The Nightmare before Christmas, Polar Express, and The Grinch. Which are all about different adaptations of Christmas stories. People usually watch these movies with friends or family, around the time of christmas.

2. During the season of Christmas, people go around their neighborhood and knock on peoples doors to sing songs such as: We Wish you a Merry Christmas, Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, and Frosty the Snowman. This is a way to boost Christmas spirit, and have fun while doing it.

3. Building a Gingerbread house is a way to bond with friends and family. Sometimes people host gingerbread house building competitions, as a way to add a fun twist to it. People use materials such as: gumdrops, frosting, gram crackers, and candy canes to decorate their houses.

4. People decorate their Christmas trees to show holiday spirit, people set them up as early as November. You can decorate a Christmas tree using: candy canes, ornaments, pictures, ribbons, lights, and when finished decorating add a big star on top.

5. People decorate cookies of all shapes and sizes, using cookie cutters and materials such as: frosting, chocolate chips, Whip cream, m&ms. People sometimes leave some cookies out for Santa to eat. This is a great way to spend time with your family.

6. Lots of people write letters to Santa to receive in the North Pole, asking for certain gifts, or to just talk to him. You can find Santa’s address by google, or by asking your parents. This helps you feel more connected and excited for christmas.

HOLIDAY BAKING

by Linh Nguyen

With the holidays around the corner, there are many traditions to do, but baking is a fan favorite every year! Here are some fan favorite recipes for you. Starting off with Christmas Cakes, they are a type of cake- often fruitcakes, they have berries in it and frosting on top. People from many different cultures or countries bake these for christmas! Another popular recipe is pecan pie, it is a pie that's filled with pecans and different types of syrups. Pecan pies have been around for many years and are also eaten during thanksgiving as they are when they get harvested. Last, but not least, a popular and fun choice is a festive decorative cookie, the cookie is baked then decorated with different colors of frosting drawn on top, you can have fun and be creative with it too! These are some popular choices that people have enjoyed throughout the years. What other recipes do you enjoy during this jolly holiday season?

DECEMBER MOVIES

by Miheera Prabhudesai

Are you a Christmas movie lover? Well, you’ve come to the right place! At Christmas or around December, many people enjoy various movies. Some watch from the comfort of their own home, while others head to the theater! Some popular movies—and coming out are,

Mufasa: The Lion King; “Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone, until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.” (Disney Youtube Description)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3; “Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance.” (IMDb Sonic)

Although Mufasa and Sonic movies may not be Christmas-themed, unlike Ghosts of Christmas Past, they will be sure to entertain you!

KINDNESS in the winter season

by Autumn Reeder

Angel Trees are one of the most popular things to do for the winter season in Wester. If you don’t know what an Angel Tree is, it’s an organization that helps children and seniors get stuff on their Christmas wish list. I heard that some of the advisory classes had teamed up to help give children smiles this holiday season, which is awesome.

“Wait, what can I do if I want to help with this?” You may be asking. I’ll be happy to answer that for you! There are a few events at some stores that let people help with letting this little program grow. I know that Walmart is doing an event, and they’ve added an extra part to it this year! There’s a tree in front of the door on the right side, there might be one on the left, with various “forgotten” angels. There’s little lists of the stuff they want, along with ages, that way you can make sure what you get for the angel is age appropriate for them. If you don’t want to buy things for them but still want to donate, don’t worry! There’s a way to do that too! On your way in or out of the store, on either side of the store, there are people with donation buckets. Now, go out there and give it all you got to help make people happy!!

FISD Angel Tree

NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS

by Emma Vybihal

There are lots of different ways to celebrate the coming of a New Year. And since there are so many different cultures, we’ll only go over the most popular ones. First off, The Chinese New Year. Probably the most well known way to celebrate the new year. It is celebrated primarily on January 29, 2024. During this tradition, people have a Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival and Cap Go Meh. On the night of this festival, the streets are decorated with colorful lanterns, often with riddles written on them. Another thing that occurs during this festival is the Lion Dance. This dance can go with many celebrations and/or traditions, but is most commonly associated with the new year. This dance involves two people, one acting as the head and front legs of the lion, the other as the rest of the body. They perform a traditional folk dance, bringing fun and color into the celebration. Another similar dance people perform is the Dragon dance. This dance began as a ceremony for worshiping ancestors and praying for rain. Now, it is performed as an entertainment, serving a similar purpose to the Lion Dance. This dance however, can require up to 100 people to control the entire dragon. Fun Fact: The Chinese believe that performing the dragon dance during festivals and celebrations drives away evil spirits and ushers in good luck and blessings for the community. Some foods eaten during the Chinese new year include; Sweet Rice balls, Chinese Dumplings, Nian gao, Yi mein, spring rolls, and many, many more. 新年快樂 ! (Happy New Year!)

The second New Years celebration we’ll be looking into is the Indian/Hindu New Year. India is a diverse country with a rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and traditions, and as a result, there are various New Year festivals celebrated across different regions. The festival we’ll be discussing is Ugadi or the Hindu New Year. The name Yugadi or Ugadi comes from the Sanskrit words yuga (age) and ādi (beginning): “the beginning of a new age”. Ugadi falls on Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami, or the first day of the bright half of the Indian month of Chaitra. This normally falls during late March or early April. One of the festivals that occurs during this time is called Diwali.Diwali marks the triumph of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness, and new beginnings associated with the Hindu New Year. Diwali is celebrated with worship, sharing sweets, fireworks and lights. Fun Fact: Diwali is not only the start of the Hindu new year, it also marks the beginning of winter. Some foods eaten during this tradition are Carrot hawala, Aloo tikki, Laddoo, Kheer, Samosas, and more. There are many, many more ways that parts and religions in India celebrate the New Year, and while this is only one of them, the others are sure to be just as festive and fun! नए साल की शुभकामनाएँ ! (Happy New Year!)

The last New Years celebration we’ll look at is the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. There are lots of different fun and traditional activities that jews do for Rosh Hashanah. One of them is crafting. The most popular thing to create is an apple, and/or something involving honey. These colorful crafts are for all ages, and are sure to bring creativity and color into the New Year. Speaking of apples and honey, this is a dish commonly served during the jewish New Year. A blessing is said in Hebrew over the apples and honey, asking for a Sweet New Year, and the apple is then dipped into the honey and eaten. Another thing that is traditionally done during the coming of the new year is candle lighting. Lighting these candles symbolizes the transition into sacred time. Fun Fact: One of the most important rituals during Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the Shofar, or ram’s horn. It is used as a call to repentance during the High Holy Days. Some of the food commonly eaten during Rosh Hashanah is vegetable soup with short ribs or matzo ball soup, beef brisket, roasted turkey or chicken, sweet kugel and much more. שנה טובה! (Happy New Year, or Happy Rosh Hashanah!)

Editor in Chief: Mr. spillers

Page updated

Report abuse